In printing systems or other environments, it may become necessary to detect the presence of objects such as the ink cartridges used for printing and, further, to identify one or more characteristics of the ink cartridges to maintain proper operation. Examples of such characteristics include a cartridge's fluid capacity (e.g., low or high), the type (i.e., brand) of cartridge, or the presence of the cartridge in the printing system.
Printing systems are susceptible to damage when operated without an ink supply, often referred to as “dry firing.” Detecting the absence of an ink cartridge could prevent such damage from occurring. Furthermore, printing systems frequently utilize low or high capacity ink cartridges. To determine the amount of ink in the cartridges during printing, some printing systems use a pixel-counting scheme. Once determined, the amount of ink present in the cartridges may be expressed as a “gas gauge” displayed on a printing system user's computer screen. Ensuring the accuracy of such a gauge, however, requires detecting the presence of low or high capacity ink cartridges. Still further, identifying the particular brands of ink cartridges used in a printing system would be desirable for several reasons, such as to ensure proper operation and to prevent damage from using an ink cartridge that is not designed for a particular printing system.
Detecting the presence of ink cartridges and identifying one or more of their characteristics is difficult if an objective is to keep costs of the printing systems relatively low. But a cost-effective yet convenient solution for detecting the presence and characteristics of ink cartridges would greatly enhance the operation and maintenance of such printing systems.